Walking the Edge of Forever
by Auua Ytjoml
Summary: Inherent in the concept of an edge are two cliffs. Between 'what was' and 'what might have been' it was a narrow road indeed that led to 'what is'. A storyboard in three parts. (No Slash)


**Musings set to music after the style of rock-opera. Taken, obviously, from TOS episode 1x28; The City on the Edge of Forever. Each part was written to a particular song and with a particular mood in mind. If anyone can guess the song and artist for the part III they will win the privilege of a story request, any request, to be written for the book/show/movie/etc. fandom of their choosing. **

**Enjoy**

I. What Was: The Sun Also Rises

Visionary is what they called her when they were being kind. Working as she did, with the poorest of the poor and the most hopeless of her depressed generation, Edith had become accustomed to being referred to as much worse. She didn't mind much. For the price of a good meal they listened to her. For the price of a few pennies an hour they considered her stance. She was encouraged by the number that left with a new flame burning in their eyes; hope.

Visionary is more apt than they realized. Her earliest memories included star charts seen from nowhere on Earth and massive vehicles lifting vertically into the air. She learnt to keep quite about her strange 'dreams' under her mother's tutelage but as she entered the workforce and left her parent's influence she found that she simply couldn't keep mum. The future was, for her, clearer and far brighter that the present and she would do anything to bring to truth her images of peace and hope and starlight.

When she dreamt of her own death and its part in her bright dreams of the future she closed her eyes and stepped off the curb; a martyr with no witness to her sacrifice.

II. What Is: A Captain's True Love

Afterwards Spock considers it just as well that only seconds pass between Edith's death and their return through the portal. After all McCoy does not yet understand the future at stake in their Captain's actions. Between the Doctor's instincts to save lives and Kirk's perplexing but undoubtedly real emotions of love and grief, Spock estimates the likelihood of a grievous fight to be 1 in 1.115; in less precise terms, nearly inevitable.

Their catapult back through time prevents immediate blows, but the Vulcan still fears that that will not be enough. As soon as they return the Enterprise to her prior course he excuses himself from the bridge, seeks out the doctor, and delivers a report with a mite more detail than the official record.

McCoy's response is bitter and predicable. "And how could you know he loved her? What would a Vulcan know of love?"

Spock ponders the loyalty of family and briefly wishes to inform McCoy that the answer is more than he would expect. No, he decides, such a discussion will not be useful in his present mission of peacekeeping. Immediately he schools the irrational impulse to sidetrack from his necessary duty and responds accordingly. "He told me so. And do not think that just because _I_ experience no such irrational feelings that I am incapable of _recognizing_ them in your species. The Captain expressed more feeling for Edith than I have seen him express towards any save a scant handful; the Enterprise included. I suspect that if given another second's thought he would have joined you in your rescue, our future, to put it colloquially, be damned."

McCoy pours a large glass of amber liquid and quaffs half of it before speaking again. "And what would you like _me_ to do about it? I'm a doctor of medicine, Spock, not hearts."

Spock inclines his head in acknowledgment. "I would primarily request that you refrain from physical confrontation with him."

The glass in McCoy's hand shatters under the applied force.

"You- I- GET OUT! Before I start a physical confrontation with you! You green blooded…."

Spock lets the door close behind him, muting all but the very beginning of a familiar rant. Better to let McCoy take out his anger on him in a familiar, ritualistic, and therefore, paradoxically, comforting manner, than to wallow in self-denigration or set off their Captain's fragile control. With one friend taken care of, Spock makes for the bridge with a game of chess and a plan to reinstate in his Captain's heart the one love in his life that can be re-built no matter how heavy the damage she may take.

His Ship.

III. What Might Have Been: Mourning in May

McCoy slaps their backs and laughs delightedly. He'd known, known from the moment he woke up with a massive headache and a second, abdominal, ache where the hypo had pierced just under his floating ribs, that he wasn't hallucinating. When Edith confirmed the date, 1930, he'd purposefully began to disassociate himself from the 21st century. After all, he'd passed through a nexus in time itself. How could he possibly expect to return to his when?

Then he seen Spock, and, running across the road, Kirk. They'd followed him. They will have a plan. He is going home. The reality strikes him like a warm blow. He'll really be going home.

Across the street he sees Edith. She seems hesitant to join them. It passes in a moment and she steps out into the street. Kirk turns with him. They see the oncoming lorry at the same time.

McCoy won't understand until too late the soft smile Kirk gives him as his friend pushes him to the ground and dashes towards the woman he'd so obviously given his heart to. It is over before his heart can beat twice but it continues to thud, painfully loud, in his ears as the doctor tries to comprehend the images flashing through his eyes, through his nerves, into his brain for processing. Blood. Black rubber residue on the road. Converging crowds.

Two bodies.

**Comments, complements, critiques... all welcome. **


End file.
